Toei Animation has revealed a full trailer for a feature film version of the underrated anime series Mononoke; not to be confused with Studio Ghibli’s beloved Princess Mononoke.
This one is entirely different. The original series aired in Japan in 2007, and in honor of its 15th anniversary next year, Toei is preparing to launch this brand new feature continuing the story. A mysterious man called the Medicine Seller travels along feudal Japan, uncovering and slaying evil spirits called “Mononoke”. The film stars the voice of Takahiro Sakurai as the Medicine Seller. No other exact details have been revealed yet, but this is one impressive trailer. Fans of the original series will love it because it has a distinct avant-garde look unlike many other anime. It’s the kind of teaser trailer that gets you to watch, no translation needed, even if you don’t know what it’s based on, it still looks cool.
Here’s the first full Japanese trailer for Kenji Nakamura’s Mononoke film:
No plot synopsis or much information is available on this new film yet. The original anime series debuted in 2007, a Japanese avant-garde anime produced by Toei Animation. A spin-off of 2006’s horror anthology series Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, Mononoke follows the character of the medicine seller as he continues to face a myriad of supernatural perils. Mononoke takes place between the end of the Edo period and Meiji Era of Japan with the four class system, Samurai being the highest class and merchants (such as the medicine seller himself) being in the lowest class. Only Samurai were permitted to carry swords, which is why it comes as a shock to many of the characters that the medicine seller would be carrying a sword.
This new Mononoke film is being directed by Japanese filmmaker Kenji Nakamura, director of the original series and other anime like Tsuritama and Find the Wasabi. It’s currently set to open in Japan starting 2023.